This invention relates to automatic door opening arrangements for motor vehicles having sensors for detection of objects in the vicinity of a vehicle door.
Automatic door opening arrangements of this type permit a vehicle door to be opened upon demand only as far as permitted by any obstacles detected in the door opening region by the sensors on a motor vehicle, for example, which is equipped with the door opening arrangement. Such arrangements allow objects constituting stationary obstacles to opening of the door to be detected before or upon opening of the door so that damage to the door or to the obstacle located in the vicinity of the door can be avoided. In addition, accidents involving obstacles or persons moving into the region of swinging motion of the door can be avoided.
A conventional automatic door opening arrangement is disclosed, for example, in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 195 33 804 which provides an auxiliary holding device for limiting the angle of the opening of the door, utilizing a sensor which detects objects without contact and which is mounted on the outer edge of the door opposite from the pivot axis edge of the door. When the sensor reaches a specified distance from an object near the vehicle during opening of the door, the sensor triggers the auxiliary holding device almost instantaneously, causing it to lock. Although the distance from a neighboring vehicle can be determined by the sensor mounted on the rear edge of the door, this does not permit reliable detection of the adjacent region covered by the opening of the door or of the traffic activity approaching the door.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 195 37 619 discloses an arrangement for monitoring the traffic spacing of a motor vehicle which has at least one traffic spacing sensor for detecting an object approaching the vehicle and an associated signaling system responsive to the approach of an object which prevents, impedes or blocks the opening of at least one door of the vehicle, and/or indicates the approach by a signaling system. In that arrangement, the traffic spacing sensor is designed and mounted to monitor essentially the traffic situation behind the vehicle. Reliable monitoring of traffic activity that is encountered by an opening door opening cannot always be assured with that arrangement.
In the arrangement disclosed in that reference, the device that indicates entry of an object into the protected region may constitute a warning device or a device to prevent, impede or block opening of the door.